As a result of the 1994 NSBE Pittsburgh National Convention, Daniel Brown, NSBE-AE 1994-1995 National Chairperson, appointed Louis Hureston to oversee the establishment of the NSBE TSIG. Although the notion of special interest groups is a recent concept within NSBE, the notion of creating networks of NSBE leaders throughout industries was formally document in 1988 in a document entitled NSBE Vision For The 1990s. Since the telecommunications SIG is a new application of this concept in NSBE, we expect to experience learning. This puzzle can be partitioned in three basic areas: political, economic and cultural. The political issues of interest are those government policies that either limit parity or inspire parity of the African American community. Similarly, economics is key because we must be mindful of the drivers resulting from living in a capitalistic society. Such drive might be the national strategies to balance the supply with the demand of the workforce of the future. Finally the cultural dimensions of concern are those barriers in the African American community that either limit or discourage academic development, professional achievement and economic development.

TSIG Vision

The vision for the Telecommunications SIG, is to serve as a powerful network that will ultimately influence domestic and international executive decisions in the telecommunications industry. The long-term (10 year) objectives of this network are as follows:
Establish a superior continuum of technical resources: · recruitment, retention and graduation from the university system · skills development from new hire status to a senior technical leadership role · evolution to the chief technologist level once prominent as an industry expert has been realized.

Establish a working relationship with key technical societies and forums (such as IEEE and National Communications Forum) in order to enhance NSBE technical presence in the telecommunications industry.
Attain African American executive representation in all Fortune 1,000 Companies with telecommunications products and services
Formalize the job creation, staffing and succession planning process amongst African Americans in the telecommunications industry.
Attain key decision-making posts in faculty , administration and alumni association organizations in universities and colleges with NSBE chapters in order to enhance the recruitment, retention and graduation of African American students
Attain access to key county, city, state and federal government posts who enable us to influence policy decisions involving the application of information technology within U.S. African American Communities and in countries with People of African Descent.